This invention relates to a coupling mechanism for attaching one member to another member and to a valve having a multi-piece valve housing that includes such a coupling mechanism for attaching one housing member to another housing member.
Coupling mechanisms for attaching one member to another are already known for various constructions. See for instance: U.S. Pat. No. 1,812,583 to Cavalieri; U.S. Pat. No. 2,027,803 to Young; U.S. Pat. No. 2,781,148 to Reddle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,649 to Morikawa et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,776 to Morgan, Jr. et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,196 to Boiret et al which disclose coupling mechanisms of the so called bayonet slot type in various applications.
Valves having multi-piece valve housings are also known but none are known that use coupling mechanisms of the bayonet slot or quick disconnect type.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,137 granted to David R. Gimby May 9, 1995 discloses a fuel vapor vent assembly that has a multi-piece valve housing. The housing includes a body member that has an integral cap member. The housing also includes an insert and a spring seat. The insert is press fitted into the upper end of the body member to provide an orifice for fuel vapors to escape from the fuel tank and a liquid trap basin above the orifice for catching any liquid fuel entrained in the fuel vapors that exit the fuel tank through the orifice. The spring seat has hooks that are snap fit into apertures of the body member for retention. The fuel tank and the valve member are made of a high density polyethylene (HDPE), a material that is known for high strength, weldability and resistance to gasoline fuel. This insert is preferably made of acetal copolymer that is highly resistant to fuel permeation and therefore does not grow when immersed in gasoline.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,417 granted to Kazuyki Tomoika and Atsushi Takahashi Jun. 4, 1996 discloses an anti-spilling valve for a vehicle fuel tank that has a multi-piece valve housing. The housing includes a valve chamber, a mounting member and a valve seat ring. The valve chamber which is immersed in gasoline is advantageously formed of polyacetal resin to minimize growth while the mounting member is advantageously made of high density polyethylene resin (HDPE) for weldability to the fuel tank which is commonly made of this material. The three parts are fabricated and assembled by molding the mounting member of HDPE resin over the upper end of a premolded valve chamber formed of polyacetal resin. The valve seat ring is then fixed to the valve chamber by ultrasonic welding.